title: A simple and accurate method for calibrating the oscillation amplitude of tuning-fork based AFM sensors.
abstract: We have developed a simple and accurate method for calibrating the amplitude of vibration of quartz tuning fork sensors commonly used in atomic force- and near field optical-microscopy. Unlike interferometric methods, which require a complex optical setup, the method we present requires only a simple measurement of the electro-mechanical properties of the tuning-fork oscillator and can be performed in a matter of minutes without disturbing the experimental setup. Comparison with interferometric methods shows that an accuracy of better than few percent can be routinely achieved.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Spectroscopie Ultrarapide, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jinquan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Callegari
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Majed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chergui